I was able to casually produce my email and grandly announce to everybody, "I've at long last been recognised by the international community of top executives and invited to join their ranks."
After a moment's silence, and reading the letter, the caregiver responded glumly, "I trust you haven't replied to this yet?"
"No," I replied, "I thought I'd leave it until the morning. I didn't want them to think I was too eager."
"This is nothing more than a phishing ruse, an internet scam from somebody who wants to steal your account login information or host malware on your computer," the caregiver concluded, tossing the email back at me.
"How do you know it's a scam?" I responded weakly.
"Well, for starters, they'll next be asking you to verify a profile you haven't created, and you can bet they'll have a form requesting your personal and financial details to 'accept the candidacy'. Also, have you not noticed the mismatched sender's name and email address?
"This indicates an automated message sent via cloud botnet solely to attack the recipient of the message, like a spam intrusion."
My young son joined the conversation, adding direly, "you don't want zombies taking over your computer, Dad."
"Zombies, phishing and cloud botnet?" I murmured nervously, sensing my newly found status as a top-drawer international executive evaporating by the minute, leaving me with no option but to hastily retreat back into my shell as a doddery old cartoonist.
